Given the holiday break, I had a chance to get some games in on a Monday night against some new players at Legions Games on the north side of the city (I’m spoiled to be in a city where there are three stores that all support Warmachine and Hordes). These were 50 point steamroller games, and while I’m feeling more confident with my Trollbloods than Cryx, I wanted to start getting used to timed rounds using the infantry-heavy Cryx force, so I bundled them up and took a Lord Exhumator Scaverous list.
So far I’ve been doing quite well at Journeyman games with Asphyxious–at the box size and 15 points the Leviathan is just too destructive at range with Gaspy waiting for his excellent melee assassination chance. As my last post about that league notes, now that we’re at larger points the list advantage is gone, and I’m having to get a handle on the complexities of Cryx. So it was good to get some games in at higher points levels with some really good foes to give myself a challenge to rise to as I sort out these casters and this force.
But first up, as always, my painting progress. I was really pleased, because I had everything painted for these 50 point games except for one unit and two solos. One of my goals of 2016 is to try and play only painted models in games, and I’m getting very close to that threshold (plus there is another incentive that will help–see later in this post).
First up was a Necrosurgeon and three Stitch Thralls. Mechanithralls without them are simply not as threatening, so this was a very necessary 2 point addition to the army.
I also added the character warjack Erebus, because he is the bonded jack to Lord Exhumator Scaverous (who I’m going to be running a fair amount). He can trash a fair amount of infantry and generate souls for Scaverous, which seemed like a good addition to my force. Plus, it’s fluffy! The story in the Wrath book abouve Scaverous using Erebus to ambush a train full of dead Khador wizards to steal the information in their skulls’ essences was what sold me on him.
Anyhow, enough on the painting. My first game was against Larry’s Cygnar force. It was Haley with a Stormwall and two large units of the various Cygnar cavalry as the main element. I had a lot of fun in the game, even though my force was picked apart pretty cleanly until Scaverous was assassinated by the Stormwall. I definitely need to work on how to deal with armies built to mash infantry–how to space against electro-leaping is critical. And just takes games like this one getting brutalized. But still a lot of fun, and a great opponent.
My second game of the evening was against Ryan’s Cephalyx led by Cognifex Cyphon. I’ve played against Cephalyx before, but only against Exulon Thexus–and despite seeing largely the same force across from me as that time, this one ran very different. I had a great time in losing, as Ryan was a fun player who had a lot of experience with Cryx–and he was able to help me learn a lot more about my fledgling force. That’s one of the coolest parts of gaming, as he was willing to share some thoughts about how I could improve after the game that really helped. Cephaylx are fun to play against as they’re neat to see the opponent unfold the plan–it’s always complex, and fun to see unfold (e.g. “this one dies to power that one to move here and allow this spell to be used”). The game ended on scenario, at the point where we realized that I might or might not get one more point, but couldn’t prevent him scoring his fifth for the win that or the following turn.
Overall a great night of gaming on a random Monday evening!
Finally (this post is a long one), I wanted to mention my 2016 project: painting 365 points worth of models.
The Warmachine and Hordes Painting Facebook group is hosting a challenge to paint 365 points in 365 days. And I’m participating. My goal is to use this year to get fully painted and flexible-in-options forces for my Cryx and Trollbloods. I may also get some Skorne pieces painted depending on my motivation level with that force–though I’m leaning toward focusing just on the one Hordes and one Warmachine force. The picture above is my to-do list for Cryx to start the year (the contest organizers gave a Christmas present of one week in 2016 to get started, hence my Necrosurgeon and Erebus counting toward the total). That’s 58 points of Cryx pictured, so I’ve got some work to do… good thing that I got two heavy warjack kits, a Dire Troll kit, and Darragh Wrathe as holiday gifts to add to the total.
365 Points Challenge Progress (2016):
10/365
Battles (Privateer Press):
Overall Total 2015: 43 (Win/Loss: 29/14/0)
Skorne:
12 Wins (Fiona, Sorscha, Morvahna2, Ossrum, Borka, Kaelyssa, Stryker, Venethrax, Butcher, Thagrosh, Exulon) / 3 Losses (Kromac, Kaelyssa/Kaya, Borka)
Trollbloods:
2 Wins (Asphyxious, Stryker3) / 5 Losses (Kaelyssa, Asphyxious2, Saeryn+Rhyas, Kromac, Kreoss2)
Cryx:
7 Wins (Stryker, Sorscha, Lylyth, Deneghra, Helga) / 5 Losses (Sorscha, Sorscha2, Dr. Arkadius, Haley, Cyphon)
Protectorate of Menoth:
3 Wins (Morvahna2, Kaelyssa) / 0 Losses
Legion of Everblight:
5 Wins (Caine2, Kaya, Sorscha, Rahn) / 1 Loss (Fiona)
My Scrap Thralls are getting different colors than the dark blue that I’m using for the rest of my army. I wanted them to look like they really were assembled on the run with whatever warjack bits were lying around on the battlefield.
They’re going hog-wild!
The Scythean faces DOOOOOOM!
What happens when both forces decide to do the denied flank–on opposite sides.
Ryan’s Bane Thralls made a mess of the pigs, but the hogs still managed to finish Deneghra.
The classic match-up: Khador and Cygnar
Doom Reavers are no one’s friend, especially not my Cryx’s.
No shot of Scaverous, but this was my first game with him. His completely convoluted plan to assassinate Helga failed at the last moment (the backup backup was an attack on my own Scrap Thrall that had ran next to her). Yet he survived her assassination attempt due to bad dice, and finished her in very ordinary fashion on my turn–a couple slashes to the face with his magic scythe. 
So I’m relatively pleased with the paint job on Grissel. I’m not particularly in love with the model, as the face is one of the worst I’ve seen in the faction. Having recently painted Janissa, who has a great expression and look, Grissel’s garbage-can mouth is just a travesty. That said, I’m pleased with how the model looks at a distance–standing amidst a force, the blue “magic” runes pop nicely in my otherwise earthtones plus dull orange army.
This is the model I was most proud of in this group, as I really didn’t think he would turn out as nicely as he did. I’ve seen Fell Caller Heroes in other players’ forces, and never really liked the pose or paint job. But I’ll 
Color-swapped Cygnar
Beautiful classic Khador
This amazing red-and-bone Legion of Everblight group. 
Not the best shot, but my blue/orange Cryx against a Deneghra box with a classic scheme. 
Another Cygnar group, this one with the original blue color scheme.
The Dark Muse 